Shoe machine



July 28, 1942.

A. S. CLARK sHo MAcHlNE Filed Feb. 1o', 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 28,1942. A. s. CLARK 2,290,941

SHOE MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 28, 1942SHOE MACHINE Alfred S. Clark, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United ShoeMachinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New JerseyApplication February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,146

14 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe machines and is herein illustrated in its.application to machines for lasting stitchdown shoes the uppers ofwhich are to be secured in lasted position by cement. It is to beunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited in its scope tostitchdown lasting machines but is applicable to many other types ofshoe machines, for example, machines for lasting prewelt shoes.

Objects of this invention are to provide a machine which will performthe operation indicated above without the use of cams or complicatedclutch mechanisms and which will be simple and inexpensive to ,make Itis a further object of the invention to Vprovide a machine which isquiet in Operation.

With the above objects in View, the invention consists in the provisionin a shoe machine of a work-engaging member and mechanism for actuatingsaid member comprising a link lpivoted thereto, a second link pivoted tothe iirst-mentioned link, driving means for oscillating the second link,and means for moving the second link into or out of alinement with thefirst-mentioned link, whereby motion is imparted to the work-engagingmember only when said links are out off register with each other.

Invention is also to be recognized in the provision of means for varyingthe amount of motion imparted to the movable work-engaging member byvarying the extent to which the aforementioned links are moved away fromreg ister with each other.

The above and other features of the invention will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings and defined inthe claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine cemprising the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the jaws and their operating mechanism,showing the jaws in operation on the toe end of a stitchdown shoe; and

Fig, 3 `is a section taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

The illustrated machine comprises a base Ill upon which is secured aframe I2 which supports the work-engaging members and the drivingmechanism hereinafter described. The workengaging members are hereinillustrated as upper and lower jaws I4 and I6 which are fulcrumed at I8on the `frame I2 and have smooth and flat work-engaging surfaces and 22arranged at a forward and downward inclination and parallel when intheir work-engaging `position as illustrated in Fig. 2. In the operationof the machine, the work-engaging surface 20 engages the outturnedlasting margin of an upper while the work-engaging surface 22 acts onthe bottom of the sole to press the latter upwardly against the upper. Asystem of links hereinafter described, operates to oscill-ate the lowerjaw I6 toward and away from the upper jaw I4. Since the lower jaw It ispositively driven, it will be understood that if a Xed upper jaw wereused, the pressure applied to the upper might well be injurious. Toobviate the application of undue 'pressure to the upper and to enablethe machine to operate, without adjustment, on work of varyingthickness, the upper jaw I4 is mounted to swing about its fulcrum I8. Toinsure that a definite and adequate amount oi pressure will be appliedto the work, a spring 24 of suitable strength is secured to an ear 26 onthe upper jaw and anchored to a treadle-operated lever 28. To limit thedownward motion of the upper jaw I4 under the action of the spring 24 sothat the jaws may be maintained at a spaced relation for theintroduction of a shoe when the lower jaw I6 is at the lower limit ofits travel, a pin 30 on the frame I2 is arranged to extend through a-slot 32 in the upper jaw I4.

For operating the lower jaw IS a motor -driven pulley 34 is mounted on ashaft 35 having at one end a crank `38 which is connected by a pitman 40to the lower end of a link 42 the upper end of which is pivoted to saidjaw at 43. The link 42 is reciprocated vertically by the combined actionof the pitrnan 4I) and a second link 46 which is oseillated by thepitman 40 about a movable fulcrum 48 at its free end, said oscillatinglink having a ycommon iulcrum 44 on the pitman with the reciprocatinglink 42. As herein illustrated, the movable fulcrum of the oscillatinglink is its pivotal connection to the lever 28 which is pivoted to theframe at 56. A treadle rod 52 pivoted to a horizontal extension 54 ofthe lever 28 is actuated by thetreadle 55 and provides a means forswinging the lever toward and away `from a position in which the upperends of the reciprocating .and oscillating links are in register witheach other, the movable fulcrum 48 and the pivotal connection oci thereciprocating link and the work-engaging member being in alinement witheach other at this time. It will be understood that when thereciprocating link 42 and the oscillating link 46 are in register, asshown in Fig. 1, they will be swung idly about the f-ulcrurn 48 by thelpitman and no motion will be imparted thereby to the lower jaw I6. Whenthe flulcrum 48 is swung by the lever 28 into a position such that thefree end of the oscillating link 46 is out of register with the upperend of the reciprocating link 42, the iirst-mentioned link will beoscillated by the pitman about the fulcrum point 48 and thereciprocating link 42 will thereby be caused to operate the lower jawI6. Thus, the lever 28 functions as a starting-and-stopping member sinceit operates to move the oscillating link 44 into or out of register withthe reciprocating link thus `putting the jaw I6 into or out ofoperation. It will also be understood that the magnitude of the motionimparted to the lower jaw I6 by the pitman 40 depends upon the extent ofthe displacement of the upper ends of the reciprocating and oscillatinglinks away from each other. Thus the magnitude of such motion may beregulated to compensate to some extent for varying thicknesses of shoeparts by varying the extent of movement of the lever 28. Inasmuch as itis diiiicult for an operator to regulate the extent of downward motionof the treadle 55 by the motion of his foot, it has been foundIconvenient to provide means, herein illustrated as a turnbuckle l, forvarying the length of the treadle rod 52 thereby to vary the movement ofthe lever 28 4produced when the treadle is pressed all the way dofwn.

Since the motor is preferably run continuously and the jaws must bestopped for the purpose of introducing a shoe to be operated upon, it isnecessary to provide means for normally holding the upper ends of thereciprocating and oscillating links in register with each other.Accordingly, the lower end of the spring 24 is secured to the horizontalextension '54 of the lever 28 at 56 and thus acts not only to hold theupper jaw I4 at the lower limit of its travel as defined by the pin 38and the slot 32 but also to hold the lever 28 in such a position thatthe upper ends of the reciprocating and oscillating links are inregister with each other. It will be understood that the jaws I4 and I6are normally inoperative and that motion is imparted to the lower jaw I6only when the lever 28 is moved away from its normal position. To insureagainst accidental operation of the jaws when no work is being done butwhile the motor is running, a stop 58 pivoted to the frame on the screw60 is constructed and arranged to be swung into place with its edgesurface in contact with the horizontal extension 54 of the lever 28thereby to lock the latter in such a position that the upper ends of thereciprocating and oscillating links are in register with each other andno motion is imparted to the workengaging members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member, a link pivoted to saidwork-engaging member, a second link pivoted to the rst-mentioned link,driving means for oscillating said second link, and means for movingsaid second link into o1' out of register with the first-mentioned link.

2. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member, a link pivoted to saidwork-engaging mein ber, a second link pivoted to the first-mentionedlink and having a free end, driving means for oscillating said secondlink about its free end, and means for moving the free end of saidsecond link into or out of register with the first-mentioned link.

3. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging mem- Jil) ber movable in a xedpath, a link pivoted at one end to said work-engaging member, a secondlink pivoted at one end to the other end of said first link, drivingmeans for oscillating said second link about its other end, and meansfor moving said other end of said second link into or out of registerwith said one end of said first link.

4. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member movable in a fixed path, areciprocating member, a pair of links having a common fulcrum on saidreciprocating member, one of said links beling swung by thereciprocating member about a pivot on said work-engaging member whilethe other is swung by said reciprocating member about a movable iulcrumpoint which is in alinement with the pivotal connection of thefirstmentioned link when the Work-engaging member is at rest.

5. In a machine for operating upon shoes, a work-engaging member movablein a fixed path, a reciprocating member, a pair of links pivoted at acommon point to said reciprocating member, both of said links beingswung by the reciprocating member, one about a fulcrum point on saidwork-engaging member andthe other about a movable fulcrum point, andmeans for swinging said movable ulcrum point into or out of aline-- mentwith the pivotal connection of the rstmentioned link to saidwork-engaging member.

6. In a machine for operating upon shoes, a frame, a lever pivoted tosaid frame, a workengaging member, a pitman, a reciprocating link, andan oscillating link, said links having a common fulcrum on said pitman,said reciprocating link being swung by the pitman about a fulcrum pointon said work-engaging member while the oscillating link is swung by thepitman about a fulcrum point on said lever, and means for moving thelever whereby the last-mentioned fulcrum point is moved into or out ofalinement,

with the pivotal connection of the reciprocating link to thework-engaging member.

7. In a machine for operating upon shoes, a frame, a movablework-engaging member pivoted to said frame, a link pivoted at one end tosaid work-engaging member, a second link pivoted at one end to the otherend of said iirst link, driving means for oscillating said second linkabout its other end, means for moving said other end of said second linkinto or out of register with said one end of said first link, and meansnormally operating to maintain said ends of said links in register witheach other.

8. In a machine for operating upon shoes, a work-engaging member movablein a xed path, a reciprocating member, a pair of links pivoted at acommon point to said reciprocating member, one of said links being swungby the reciprocating member about a fulcrum point on said workengagingmember and the other of said links being swung by the reciprocatingmember about a movable fulcrum point, and meansy normally operating tohold said movable fulcrum point in alinement with the pivotal connectionof the rst-mentioned link to said work-engaging member.

9. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member movable in a fixed path, apitman, a reciprocating link, an oscillating link, said links having acommon fulcrum on said pitman, the reciprocating link being swung abouta pivot on said work-engaging member while the oscillating link is swungby the pitman about a movable fulcrum point which is in alinement withthe pivotal connection of the reciprocating link to the work-engagingmember when said member is at rest, and means for swinging saidoscillating link about its pivotal connection with the pitman to movesaid movable fulcrum point in a fixed path from its position ofalinement with the pivotal connection of the reciprocating link to thework-engaging member thereby to cause the pitman to impart movement tosaid Work-engaging member.

10. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member movable in a fixed path, apitman, a reciprocating link, an oscillating link, said links having acommon fulcrum on said pitman, both said links being swung by saidpitman, the reciprocating link about a pivot on said work-engagingmember, the oscillating link about a movable fulcrum point which is inalinement with the pivotal connection of the reciprocating link to thework-engaging member when the work-engaging member is at rest, means forswinging said oscillating link about its pivotal connection with thepitman to move said movable fulcrum point in a xed path from itsposition of alinement with the pivotal connection of the reciprocatinglink to the work-engaging member whereby the pitman is caused to impartmotion to said work-engaging member, and means for locking said movablefulcrum point in alinement with said pivotal connection thereby to causethe work-engaging member to remain stationary.

11. In a machine for operating upon shoes, a frame, a pair ofwork-engaging members constructed and arranged to cooperate with eachother, one of said work-engaging members being yieldably mounted on saidframe, the other of said work-engaging members being pivoted to saidframe, a link pivoted at one end to said other work-engaging member, asecond link pivoted at one end to the other end of said rst link, meansfor oscillating said second link about its other end, and means formoving said other end of said second link into or out of register withsaid one end of said rst link whereby motion is imparted to saidwork-engaging member only when said ends of said links are out ofregister with each other.

12. In a machine for lasting stitchdown shoes, a frame, a continuouslyreciprocated driven member, an upper jaw yieldably mounted upon saidframe, a lower jaw pivoted to said frame and constructed and arranged tocooperate with said upper jaw and means for urging said lower jaw towardand away from said upper jaw comprising a pair of links pivoted on acommon fulcrum on said driven member, one of said links being pivoted atits other end to said lower jaw, and means pivoted to the other end ofthe other of said links for moving said links into or out of registerwith each other whereby motion is transmitted to said lower jaw fromsaid driven member only when said links are out of alinement with eachother.

13. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member movable in a fixed path, apitman, a pair of links having a common fulcrum on said pitman, one ofsaid links being swung about a pivot on said Work-engaging member whilethe other is swung by said pitman about a movable fulcrum point, andmeans for swinging the last-mentioned link to move said movable fulcrumpoint to a variable extent along a xed path from a position in whichsaid movable fulcrum is in alinement with the pivotal connection of therst-mentioned link with the work-engaging member.

14. In a shoe machine, a work-engaging member movable in a fixed path, alink pivoted at one end to said work-engaging member, a second link oneend of which is pivoted to said first link and the other end of which isfree, means for oscillating said second link about its free end, meanscomprising a treadle-operated lever connected to the free end of saidsecond link for moving the latter into or out of register with said rstlink, and means for varying the extent of the motion produced by saidtreadle-operated lever.

ALFRED S. CLARK.

